Traveling target



Mam}! 1963 A. E. GOLDFARB 3,082,002

TRAVELING TARGET Filed Feb. 2; 1959 60LOFne5,

INVENTOR. 13/ #52216 JZ-ZSSUP flrrae/vsys.

United States Patent 3,082,002 TRAVELING TARGET Adolph E. Goldfarb, 7243 Atoll St., North Hollywood, Calif.

Filed Feb. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 790,679 2 Claims. ((1. 273-1022) This invention relates to a traveling or moving target having means for controlling the movement of the target when the target is hit. The invention is primarily adapted in a toy target for use with any toy weapons which discharge a missile or pellet adaptable to strike the target member and actuate it.

In a preferred form, the invention takes the form of a wheel toy comprising a whee-led carriage having mounted thereon a target member in the form of a figure or figurine which may for example be representative of a western badman. The carriage is preferably electrically driven by a miniature electric motor which imparts a regular back and forth movement to the carriage, for example or the carriage may move regularly and uniformly in a circle. Means are provided so that when the target member or figure is struck, it collapses and stops movement of the carriage. The device further embodies sound means which produces sound simulating the firing of weapons by the target figure carried by the toy.

The invention therefore considerably augments the utility and entertainment value of childrens toy weapons of any type which discharge a missile or pellet capable of striking and actuating a target. It is a primary object of the invention therefore to provide a target means as described and to thereby fulfill the need for such a device complementing toy missile firing weapons.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a moving toy target adapted to simulate the actual result of being struck by a bullet or missile, to stop when struck and to otherwise realistically simulate the actual result of firing weapons at a live target and to thereby complement and add to the entertainment value of existing toys.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy as described wherein the driving means is controlled by a-reversing switch actuatable by movement, that is collapsing of the target member or figure on the toy.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel delay means or transmission train between a driving means and a reversing switch or the like to automatically actuate the switch at predetermined intervals preferably for causing a wheeled toy as described to reverse its direction of motion.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wheel toy as described wherein the target member is in the form of figure representative of a western badman, the

toy embodying a sound or noise maker, simulating the firing of pistols by the figure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel delay or transmission train actuatable by a rotating motor comprising a plurality of concentric discs, each having pickup means so that after a substantially complete revolution of one disc it picks up and rotates an adjacent disc so that movement is imparted to the final disc after each has rotated through substantially a complete revolution.

Another object of the invention is to provide a transmission device as in the foregoing object wherein the pickup means on the discs are such that the transmission is operative when rotated in either direction.

Further objects and additional advanges of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and annexed drawings where:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a preferred form of the invention; v

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the device of FIG. 1 showing the drive therefor;

Fr" C In FIG. 1 of the drawings, numeral 10 designates a.

wheel toy having a carriage or chassis as shown mounted on wheels as designated at 11. The wheels are on transverse shafts 13 and 14 journalled in brackets or bearings as shown at 16 attached to the bottom of the carriage. Preferably the sides of the carriage as shown at 17 overhang the wheels as shown.

Mounted on the carriage is a target member which by way of example may take the form of a western badman as shown at 20 in FIG. 1. The figure or target member is arranged to collapse or fall down when struck by a missile or pellet fired from a toy weapon. The legs of the figure 20 are attached to a shaft 22 extending through housing member 23. The figure 20 is normally in an upright position but when struck falls down or collapses and then may be re-erected. When the member 20 collapses it actuates an electrical switch as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 and this switch may for example be incorporated in one of the legs of the figure 20. As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 the shaft 22 actuates an arm or member 25, the lower end of which engages in a loop or deformation 26 in a resilient spring contact arm 27 as shown. One end of the arm 27 as designated at 28 is a contact member Which engages with a spring contact member 30 as shown. Thu when the target member is upright the switch formed is closed and when the target is down the switch is opened. As will be described, this switch controls the drive of the carriage 10- and preferably stops the movement when the target is knocked down.

FIG. 2 shows schematically the drive for the toy. Numeral 33 designates a miniature reversible electrical motor having a shaft 34 on which is a bevel gear 35. The gear 35 meshes with a larger gear 36 mounted on the shaft 13 of two of the wheels. Numeral 37 designates a reversing switch which will be described presently and numeral 38 designates -a dry cell battery for providing power for the motor 33. The reversing switch 37 has an extending operating arm or lever 39 which is automatically actuated by a time delay or transmission train driven by the motor 33. The motor 33 causes the carriage 10 to move at an appropriate speed and after a certain amount of travel in one direction the switch 37 is automatically actuated to reverse the direction of the motor and cause movement of the toy in the opposite direction.

The reversing switch 37 and the time delay mechanism or drive transmission for the switch are shown in greater detail in FIGURES 5 and 6. The transmission or drive for the switch 37 comprises a plurality of discs or rotors t freely mounted on the shaft 13 as shown at 40 in FIG- URE 6. Each disc has a pickup means as shown at 41 operable to engage and pick up a similar pickup means on the next adjacent disc and to rotate that disc with it. The pickup means 41 as shown by way of example is a lug or tooth on the disc having an axial extending portion.

3 or lug 4i on the first freely rotatable disc 40-. After substantially a complete revolution of that disc, its pickup means 41 will pickup and engage the lug or pickup means 41 on the next disc and impart rotation to this disc. In this manner each disc and including the gear 36 must go through substantially a complete revolution before motion is imparted to the next disc. The last disc in the series has an extending arm or lug 44 positioned to engage the end of the operating arm or lever 39 of the reversing switch. When the position of the switch 37 is reversed, the opposite polarity of voltage is applied to the motor 33. It reverses its direction of rotation causing the gear 36 to rotate in the opposite direction and the time delay or drive transmission operates similarly in the opposite direction and again reverses the position of switch 37.

The operating lever 39 is pivoted about a pivot 47 journalled in support members indicated by way of example at 48. The members 48 are upstanding from a base 50 and the lever arm 39 is normally urged in a clockwise direction by a biasing spring 51 attached to an upright member 52. Numerals 54 and 55 designate a pair of resilient spring contact members centrally mounted on a post 56 and lying below the lever arm 39. Each of the contact strips 54 and 55 ha an upward crimp as shown at 58 by way of example and these crimps are engageable by extending members extending downward from the arm 39 as shown for example at 59. Mounted on the base 50 below the strips 54 and 55 are conducting strips or members 61 and 62 in the form of a cross and insulated from each other by a member 63. Each of the strip 61 and 62 has a contact member or button at its ends as indicated by way of example at 64. The strips or members 61 and 62 may be simply pieces of wire. When the lever 39 is tilted as shown in FIG. by the drive transmission means, the left end of strips 54 and 55 are depressed downwardly into contact with the button at the left ends of the crossed members 61 and 62 as shown in FIGURE 6. When the reversing switch 37 is in its opposite position, the contacting is reversed, that is the right ends of strips 54 and 55 are brought into contact with the buttons at the right ends of the members 61 and 62. This reverses the polarity applied to the motor 33.

The motor 33 is connected to the mid-points of the strips 54 and 55 as shown in FIGURE 6. The battery 38 is connected to the ends of the strips 61 and 62 through the switch 27 actuatable by the target member 20. As can be seen therefore the reversing switch reverse the polarity applied to the motor 33 and the switch 27 stops the motor whenever that switch is open.

FIGURE 7 is a bottom view of a slightly modified form of the invention. In this form of the invention instead of having the carriage move intermittently back and forth, it has a pair of wheels set so that the device travels in a circle. The shaft 14 is journalled in a swivel bracket 70 which is pivoted at 71 to the carriage so that the wheel-s can be set as shown in the broken line position and the target means will travel uniformly in a circle.

The battery and driving motor are the same as in the previous embodiment. Since the device travels in a circle no reversing switch is provided and there is no need for the time delay means or driving train as shown in FIGURE 2 of the previous embodiment.

FIGURES 7 and 8 show by way of example a means for producing sound effects simulating the firing of pistols by the particular target FIGURE as shown in FIG- URE 1. This device comprises a spring bracket 74 mounted on the underside of the carriage and cooperating with a rotary finger 75 extending from member 76 mounted on shaft 13. The spring bracket member 74 may be a type of snapping device which produces an appropriate sound as known in the art. On each revolution of the shaft 13, the finger 75 engages the end of the member 74 and plucks or snaps it to simulate the desired sound elfects. It is to be understood of course that the sound producing means described can be similarly incorporated in the previous embodiment and are not shown in that embodiment to avoid duplication.

In the embodiment of FIG. 7 the circuit of the motor 33 is preferably controlled by the target figure as in the previous embodiment, that is in a manner to stop the movement of the target means when the target is struck and knocked down. If desired the unit may have a manual button switch for controlling the starting and stopping operation of the motor 33.

Summarizing the operation of the forms of the invention as described above, the target means is placed in operation in readiness for a child to fire at it with his missile discharging weapons. The target means moves back and forth or in a circle accompanied by the appropriate sound effects as described and thereby realistically simulating actual combat or the like. The realism is further simulated in that the target member upon being struck is knocked down discontinuing the movement which is not resumed until the target member is reerected. The device therefore complements the childs other toys and is highly entertaining in that the target is a moving one, appears to be firing back, is knocked down when hit and also stops moving.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 6, the time delay device or driving train provides an extremely simple, novel and useful way of producing the desired intermittent back antl forth motion. The concentric discs provide a very compact, simple and inexpensive mechanism for providing the time delay intermittent drive of the target means. The discs operate to provide for the target means moving in one direction for a predetermined distance and then moving in the opposite direction, the discs being similarly operative in either direction. Complicated gear trains or other comparable mech anisms are thus avoided.

It is to be understood that the novel features of the invention as herein disclosed and claimed are to be considered a part thereof wherever and in whatever application or environment they may find utility. To the extent that features of the invention may find utility in full size mechanisms such adaptations are embraced within the invention. Additional uses and adaptations of the time delay train or drive mechanism for the reversing switch are to be considered as embraced within the scope of the invention.

Rather than using the time delay train in the embodiment of FIG. 1 for actuating the reversing switch, other means might be employed to produce the intermittent back and forth movement of the target means. For example, an arrangement may be provided wherein the motor 33 drives a gear having an axis normal to the shaft 13. Such gear may carry and drive an interrupted gear, that is a rotor having gear teeth part way around its periphery and adapted to mesh with two spur gears ad acent the periphery of the gear means driven by the motor 33. The interrupted gear meshes with first one and then the other of the spur gears to intermittently drive them, each in a direction opposite to the other. As a result the target means is driven intermittently back and forth.

The foregoing disclosure is representative of preferred forms of the invention and is to be interpreted in an lllustrative rather than a limiting sense. Various modifications and alternatives may occur to and be adopted by those skilled in the art without departing from the pirit and scope of the invention, which is to be accorded the full scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy comprising a target in the form of a figure representative of a living creature, a wheeled carriage having said figure mounted thereon to impart movement thereto, means for driving the carriage, said target figure being mounted so that it can be knocked down, and means for stopping the movement of the carriage in response to knocking down of the target figure.

,-2. A toy comprising a target in the form of a figure representative of a living creature, a wheeled carriage having said figure mounted thereon to impart movement thereto, means for driving the carriage, control means controlling the driving means for intermittently controlling the carriage to produce back and forth motion, said target figure being mounted so that it can be knocked down, and means for stopping the movement of the carriage in response to knocking down of the target figure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 953,501 Whitney Mar. 29, 1910 Whitney May 13, 1913 15 2.940.755 

1. A TOY COMPRISING A TARGET IN THE FORM OF A FIGURE REPRESENTATIVE OF A LIVING CREATURE, A WHEELED CARRIAGE HAVING SAID FIGURE MOUNTED THEREON TO IMPART MOVEMENT THERETO, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE CARRIAGE, SAID TARGET FIGURE BEING MOUNTED SO THAT IT CAN BE KNOCKED DOWN, AND MEANS FOR STOPPING THE MOVEMENT OF THE CARRIAGE IN RESPONSE TO KNOCKING DOWN OF THE TARGET FIGURE. 